European countries cannot confiscate Russia's money as they are not at war with it, said Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever at a forum in Davos.
"Of course, we cannot just take and confiscate someone’s money. We are not at war with Russia, Europe is not at war with Russia," he said, noting that there have been no such precedents even during World War II.
The European Union has managed to agree on a €90 billion aid package for Ukraine, while Kyiv requires €145 billion. For comparison, €220 billion of Russian assets are frozen in the EU.
"Europe has a duty to support Ukraine - and we have done that. Perhaps we do not always make decisions quickly, but in the end, the result is there: €90 billion in aid to Ukraine this year and next," he said.
De Wever reminded that the decision to block Russian assets was made so that "they could not be used in wartime conditions."
Earlier, the European Commission considered the possibility of providing Ukraine with a loan from the frozen Russian assets, a significant portion of which is held in Belgium at the Euroclear depository. However, Belgium opposed this decision, citing potential legal and financial costs in the future.
